Say hello to the one and only roast chicken recipe you'll ever need: lemon butter roasted chicken! Slathered with a bright, earthy herbal butter and roasted until the skin is golden and crispy while the meat stays tender and juicy. It's a foolproof and simple dinner that fills the house with a nostalgic aroma that conjures the whole family to the dinner table.
Ingredients
3lbwhole chicken
1lemon
2mediumcarrots, chopped
2largeshallots, quartered
1mediumapple, cored and cut into 8 pieces
A few stems of thyme, oregano, and rosemary
Lemon Herb Butter
¼cupsoftened butter
2teaspoonsfresh thyme leaves, chopped
2teaspoonsfresh oregano leaves, chopped
1teaspoonrosemary, chopped
1teaspoonsea salt
½teaspoonblack pepper
2clovesgarlic, very finely minced
Zest from 1 lemon
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix all the lemon herb butter ingredients together in a small bowl. Use the zest from the lemon you'll use with the chicken. (You only need one lemon)
¼ cup softened butter, 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, 2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves, 1 teaspoon rosemary, 1 teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 2 cloves garlic, Zest from 1 lemon
Cut the lemon in half and remove as many seeds as possible. Place the carrots, shallots, apple, and herbs in the bottom of a baking pan.
1 lemon, 2 medium carrots, 2 large shallots, 1 medium apple, A few stems of thyme, oregano, and rosemary
Dry the chicken with paper towels and then spread half the butter under the skin of the breasts. Using your hands, make small pockets between the flesh and the skin near the cavity side of the chicken. Stuff some butter into the pockets then use your hands to push it up over the whole breasts. Try to stuff some more butter under the skin around the legs. Be careful not to break the skin. Use half the butter under the skin and rub the remaining butter over the skin.
3 lb whole chicken
Place the butter-rubbed chicken on top of the veggies in the pan. Squeeze the lemon juice over the top then nestle the lemon halves beside the chicken. Roast the chicken for 45 minutes then turn the oven down to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and roast for another 45 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the oven and place it on a serving platter. Spoon the veggies out of the pan and place them beside the chicken. Discard the lemon and herbs. Pour the remaining juices into a bowl and serve beside the chicken.